multiple ground wires

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=92446
Printed Date: July 22, 2025 at 6:32 PM

Topic: multiple ground wires

Posted By: ermac
Subject: multiple ground wires
Date Posted: April 02, 2007 at 5:24 PM

Real simple and quick for the right person.

I am installing new lights on a Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L V8 with a 24DL 12V Batt.

Off the light kit comes a +positive and -negative set of wires, ok, easy.
I have a toggle switch for the inside of the truck.
The toggle has POWER - LOAD - GROUND
Ground of corse going to a peice of metal on the truck, POWER being the positive from the bat to the switch and from switch to lights,
and LOAD is one issue, I was told take the Negative wire from the lights, and ground them to the truck, and leave the LOAD prong on the toggle switch alone?

and 2nd, am I able to ground these wires to the same ground point to where which the battery is also grounded. Called Autozone, they said no.

Replies:

Posted By: Mad Scientists
Date Posted: April 02, 2007 at 5:53 PM

On the toggle switch; (it sounds like the toggle switch has three connections, and is a lighted switch)

load - the lights

ground - ground

power - 12+

Posted By: ermac
Date Posted: April 02, 2007 at 5:56 PM

so... you mean this.

Power - runs from bat to power on toggle
ground... duh..
load... runs from positive wire on lights to load on toggle switch.

then the negative on the lights should be grounded? and can you ground multiple wires to one point?
I grounded that ground wire from toggle to same grounding point as the ground for the battery.

Posted By: ermac
Date Posted: April 02, 2007 at 6:42 PM

more simple... lol

TOGGLE SWITCH w/ 3 Prong INC LED

POWER: Wire from 12v battery to POWER prong
LOAD: Wire from POSITIVE of lights to LOAD prong
GROUND: wire from metal to GROUND prong

Questions:
What do you do with NEGATIVE from lights? put on metal as ground like autozone said?
Can you ground multiple ground wires to same ground point?

Posted By: Mad Scientists
Date Posted: April 03, 2007 at 6:36 AM

Use fusing, but that sounds right.. ground the negative wire off the lights. I'm not sure what you're talking about WRT multiple wires, but as long as the connections are good, there isn't any problem in connecting more than one ground wire to any one point.

Jim